Four Reasons Luxury Travelers Are Choosing River Cruises
One of my clients recently told me how much she yearned to experience her next international trip aboard an ocean liner.
She’d shared this idea with her husband, and he immediately scoffed at it, saying that he didn’t intend to spend his downtime with a hoard of partyers, sleeping in a pint-sized room on an enormous ship, while simultaneously attempting to combat seasickness.
My client wanted me to give her ideas that she could slip into her husband’s ear about the luxury rooms, breathtaking views, and unique itineraries that only an ocean cruise could offer.
What I told her instead was that I might have a better solution, one that could appeal both to her desire to cruise in an opulent setting, and his stipulations for a more discerning group of fellow travelers, spacious accommodations, and—perhaps most importantly for her husband—the complete absence of motion sickness.
What I suggested was a luxury river cruise. I described my go-to selection of hand-picked cruise lines, which offer signature river cruises as a unique and relaxing way to experience the world.
I asked her to imagine gently cruising along the Rhone or Yangtze River in their luxurious floating hotel, sailing past castles and ancient ruins. Just as I’d hoped, this caught her fancy. If it appeals to the culture-loving luxury-seeker in you, too, here are four more reasons to choose a river cruise for your upcoming vacation:
ONE) River cruise ships are smaller and more private than ocean liners,
so they offer highly personalized service and amenities, with intimate dining and entertainment options, along with spacious staterooms and French balconies. One of my favorites, AmaWaterways, boasts generous staterooms, champagne breakfasts, free-flowing wine, local cultural entertainment, spas and fitness rooms. Theme cruises focusing on wine, beer, art, heritage and more round out their offerings. You’ll discover a host of choice opportunities when you travel aboard an intimate river liner.
TWO) A river cruise is as close to hassle-free travel as you can get.
There are no lines to get on or off the ship, and when you arrive at your next port, you can typically walk right off the vessel, becoming immediately immersed in your new destination. Luxury river cruise vessels dock near the center of towns and popular sites, providing ample opportunities to experience the local culture.
THREE) Your river cruise can be entirely all-inclusive.
Depending on the cruise line and ship of your choice, you can often elect to have all bills settled before your trip, so that costs don’t need to enter your mind once you’re officially on vacation. One of my seasoned cruise clients recently had the pleasure of embarking on an 8-day cruise along the Danube River. She told me how relaxing it was never to consider payment during her lavish cruise—not even while enjoying a few glasses of wine on her private balcony overlooking the incredible architecture of Budapest. With Tauck, another of my most select river cruise lines, guests want for nothing, as everything is included. Tauck promises, When you travel with us, you’ll never wonder whose turn it is to pick up the check at dinner, how much to tip, or whether you booked the right hotel room. There are no options sold, no hidden costs and no compromises on quality. This is a nicety that my clients have found both convenient and conducive to the utmost in relaxation.
FOUR) Being on the river, there are no waves, so seasickness is not an issue.
One client who had previous experience with motion sickness on an ocean liner happily told me that during his river cruise, he actually had to open the curtains to see if their ship was moving, so subtle was their passage!
Certainly I’ve had some potential clients experience a moment of surprise when they see the price tag of a luxury river cruise, but when they realize everything they get for one price, it becomes much more manageable, and quite a good value. In fact, 96-percent of first-time river cruisers say they would recommend the experience to a friend.
As a luxury travel agent who specializes in river cruising, and who has relationships with the finest river cruise lines, I can be incredibly valuable in helping you sort through all of the options available to you. Based on my more than three decades in the luxury travel industry, I have hand-picked a small selection of companies with which my clients are consistently pleased: They are the river cruise providers that have garnered the highest customer satisfaction rates, those that offer truly authentic cultural experiences, with the most opulent amenities available.
When you’re ready, it will be my pleasure to provide you with the one-on-one assistance to help you optimize both your time and money on your own river cruise adventure. You can contact me today by clicking here.
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